Marco Polo started cruising as Alexandr Pushkin in 1965, following delivery by Germany’s Wismar shipyard. This ship completed transatlantic voyages travelling from Leningrad to Montréal, with stops in Helsinki, Copenhagen, London and Québec City. The ship visited Montréal 114 times in all. The final trip to Montréal was on August 18, 1980.
'Like probably thousands of Quebecers, I have family members who had the chance to travel on the Alexandr Pushkin. Now, I’m delighted to welcome back this ship that played an important role in Montréal’s cruise industry for 15 years,' said Sylvie Vachon, Ppesident and ceo of the Port of Montréal.
Since this year's cruise season began, the Port of Montréal has already welcomed some 25,000 cruise ship passengers and crew members, and by the time the season closes on October 29, this number is expected to be 90,000 plus. This encouraging projection is more than 27% higher than last year, when 56,466 passengers and 14,578 crew members stopped in Montréal.
'We’re anticipating a record high this year, as 19 international ships have scheduled stops in Montréal. This year, a total of 77 stopovers are expected, up from 52 last year. I’m pleased to report that Montréal has the wind in its sails and we’re on our way to achieving our ambitious targets for the year,' said Yves Lalumière, president and ceo of Tourisme Montréal.
Supported by Tourisme Québec, the Montréal Cruise Committee works closely with the Montréal Port Authority and Tourisme Montréal, as well as five other local organizations: Aéroports de Montréal, the Old Port of Montréal Corporation, the Old Montréal Business Development Corporation, and the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal. The committee’s objective is to attract new cruise lines to Montréal while encouraging those that already stop to come more frequently and stay longer.
